DELPHI, Ind. (WTHR) - The walk to the Monon High Bridge trail tonight is, for this family, a time to teach a lesson about sticking together.
"We have to keep safe. This is how we do it."
And a time to share.
"Let's pray that God has taken that pain and that suffering away from them," Sabrina tells her kids.
And then a time to pray.
"I hope that you would help them not have any more pain from suffering through that last few hours of their life. Amen."
Sabrina and her girls didn't know Abby and Libby, teenagers killed just off this trail almost 3 weeks ago. But it's drawn them closer.
"I hope you girls know what you mean to me," Sabrina, from Lafayette, says. "All of you," she tells her daughters, ages four through nine.
As Delphi residents burn orange light bulbs to remember the victims, residents like Amber Vandervort are feeling the stress.
"We're done," Vandervort says. "It is tearing this whole town apart. As much as we are bringing it together, we're all worried."
Even after 10,000 tips, exhaustive police work, the suspect's picture and his "down the hill" audio out there too, there's still no one in custody.
We're, it's to the max, we are stressed," Vandervort says. We just want to get it over with."
It's touched so many homes.
"I'm very emotional," said Jessica Babcock. "I've known Liberty. I've had the FBI at my house, state police was here today. They're going door-to-door asking questions. I have two young children."
She doesn't let them play alone in the yard here, one block from the police station.
"Everyone cares," said state police Sgt. Tony Slocum. "Everyone wants to help us."
New messages of support come into the task force headquarters every day, from school kids and adults.
"You read 'em, you've got to hold your tears in," Slocum said.
With the reward topping $200,000 now, investigators are hoping the tip that breaks the case will come in.
